Trade route overview

El Salvador exports to Nicaragua
route risk review

See the latest reported exports, the products that need a closer look, and the conditions that may make this route harder to plan.

SLV-NIC2024 reported exports89 product typesHigh attention review level
Latest reported exports$339.6M2024 route total
Highest-priority products0Need the closest review
Products needing review27High-attention product types
Exports needing review55.5%Share of route exports
Overall review levelHigh attentionBased on available indicators

What this page shows

What should a business review on this route?

In 2024, El Salvador reported $339.6M in goods exports to Nicaragua. 27 product types are marked for closer review, covering 55.5% of reported exports. This is not a forecast and does not mean trade will stop. It shows where to look more closely at demand, annual changes, product mix, tariffs, and buyer-market conditions.

How to read this page

Three simple ideas explain the route

This page separates the size of the trade from the conditions worth checking and the product types that make up the route.

01 - Trade value

How much is traded?

This is the reported value of goods exported from El Salvador to Nicaragua in the latest available year.

$339.6M in 2024
02 - Review level

What does "high attention" mean?

It marks product types where one or more conditions deserve a closer look. It is not a prediction, a guaranteed loss, or a warning that trade will stop.

55.5% needs review
03 - Product code

What is a product type?

Each row is one HS6 product code. HS6 is the international six-digit code used to describe and compare traded goods.

89 product types

Start with the products

See the product rows behind the review level.

Compare the products, their buyer-market size, and the conditions that deserve a closer look.

Export history

How much was exported each year?

The latest twelve years of reported exports from El Salvador to Nicaragua. Bar lengths are relative to the highest year shown.

Latest annual total$459.3M2024 annual history
Highest year$459.3M2024 annual history
Latest below highest0%Difference from the highest year

Why this route needs review

What is behind the review signal?

A dollar amount can appear in more than one row. These rows show the conditions linked to the route; they are not separate losses.

What to reviewBar shows relative sizeExport value linked to it
Large year-to-year swings
$90.2M
Still below the previous high
$17.2M
Buyer demand is falling
$0.0
Product mix is concentrated
$229.4M
Tariffs and access rules
$0.0
Buyer economy is under pressure
$0.0

How to read the numbers

What do these measures tell us?

These measures describe yearly swings, the gap from the route's highest year, and how concentrated the product mix is.

Export volatility0.9Higher means bigger yearly swings
Below highest year10.7%Compared with the route's best year
Product concentration (HHI)398.60-10,000 scale; higher means fewer products dominate
Largest product share10.1%Share from the biggest product

Largest product

Paper: toilet paper

Product code HS6 481810 makes up 10.1% of exports from El Salvador to Nicaragua. The main reason to review it is: A small number of products or suppliers carry much of the route.

See product rows
Exports of this product$34.4M2024 reported value

Products to review

Which product types need a closer look?

Each row is one six-digit HS6 product code. Compare the buyer market's imports, the product's fall from its highest year, annual variation, and review level.

Top product types10 shown - 2024 values
Top product types for El Salvador exports to Nicaragua
RankProduct and codeBuyer-market importsBelow product highYearly variationReview level
1Paper: toilet paperHS6 481810 - six-digit product code$58.5M0%0.7High attention
2Fabrics: knitted or crocheted fabrics, other than those of headings 60.01 to 60.04, of cotton, dyedHS6 600622 - six-digit product code$308.1M0%1.5High attention
3Ethylene polymers: sacks and bags (including cones), for the conveyance or packing of goodsHS6 392321 - six-digit product code$39.7M7.6%0.8High attention
4Medicaments: consisting of mixed or unmixed products n.e.s. in heading no. 3004, for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, packaged for retail saleHS6 300490 - six-digit product code$283.8M15%0.5Stable
5Plastics: carboys, bottles, flasks and similar articles, for the conveyance or packing of goodsHS6 392330 - six-digit product code$59.2M0.2%0.7Stable
6Food preparations: bakers' wares n.e.c. in heading no. 1605, whether or not containing cocoa: communion wafers, empty cachets suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, rice papers and similar productsHS6 190590 - six-digit product code$63.3M0%0.8Stable
7Paper and paperboard: cartons, boxes and cases, of corrugated paper or paperboardHS6 481910 - six-digit product code$32.6M0%1High attention
8Non-alcoholic beverages: other than non-alcoholic beer, n.e.c. in item no. 2202.10, not including fruit, nut or vegetable juices of heading no. 2009HS6 220299 - six-digit product code$52.5M0%0.9Watch
9Sugar confectionery: (excluding chewing gum, including white chocolate), not containing cocoaHS6 170490 - six-digit product code$31.1M6%0.7Stable
10Product 271019HS6 271019 - six-digit product code$505.7M43.7%0.8High attention

Buyer-market imports are total imports of that product into the buyer market, not only exports from El Salvador. "Below product high" compares current exports with that product's highest reported year. Yearly variation is a calculated measure. Swipe sideways on a small screen to see every column.

Trade route conditions

What else can affect this route?

Distance, tariffs, trade agreements, the buyer economy, and business rules add context to the export total.

Distance between markets357 kmApproximate route distance
Trade agreement (FTA)YesReported agreement coverage
Average import tariff8.3%Average tax applied to imports
Buyer economy size$14.0B2024 gross domestic product
Buyer GDP per person$2.1KCurrent-dollar measure
Buyer economy outlookResilientAvailable buyer-economy context
Shared land borderNoDo the markets share a border?
Shared official languageYesReported common official language
Similar legal systemYesReported legal similarity
Shared religionNoReported cultural similarity
Language similarityNot reportedCommon spoken-language score
Business setup time14 daysDays to register a business

Questions about this page

Simple answers about this route

Definitions and limits for the figures above.

What does "high attention" mean?

High attention means one or more conditions on these product types deserve a closer look. It is not a prediction that trade will stop or that a loss is certain.

How much did El Salvador export to Nicaragua?

El Salvador reported $339.6M in goods exports to Nicaragua in 2024.

What does "exports needing review" mean?

55.5% of reported route exports are linked to product types marked for closer review. This points to where to investigate further.

What is an HS6 code?

An HS6 code is the international six-digit code used to describe and compare traded goods.

What conditions are shown?

The page shows yearly export changes, product concentration, tariffs, distance, trade-agreement coverage, buyer-economy context, and business setup time where reported.

Is this a forecast?

No. These are reported or calculated observations, not forecasts or guarantees.

Continue your research

Compare this route with products and markets.

Use the workspace to investigate which products, buyer conditions, and routes deserve attention.

Data source

OECD trade statistics with CEPII context

OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-29). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.